The Work

Fortunately, Victor slowed down a bit after this weekend with the implementation of his brilliant plan. To my surprise, however, I noticed that he started using dating applications and spent much more time stuck to the phone screen. I was hoping that he would either get lucky there or at least take his time. He also spent the last few weekends implementing a large project from work.

I thought about what to do for lunch as I wandered the school corridors. The facility where I worked was a large high school and was located in a less exclusive part of the city. Mainly children from the middle and low classes went there. To tell the truth, it wasn't fate that brought me here, but my own decision. Though these children were said to be "difficult" and had no great future for them, I knew fully, that this opinion was wrong. I also wanted to come here because I assumed that I would be able to help them somehow with my gift. I took up the position of a school pedagogue without any problems due to the vacancy. For several years now, the management had been struggling with the permanent filling of this position, and people quickly resigned, despite the fact that many of them initially had a lot of passion.

At the beginning of the year, I was introduced to each class, and there were quite a lot of them - ten per year. I wanted to gain the trust of young people, I encouraged them to come to me even with the smallest problem. I said in these short meetings that I was here for them and to help them whenever I could. It did not have the desired effect, the kids did not react positively, but disregarded me, as usually they themselves were treated.

I knew that it would not look like my friends from college sometimes imagined, that kids would start to love them right away and treat them like best friends, that they would start running to them with every problem etc. And then they would be proud and proud of "the fulfillment of a noble mission". I'm not saying that some of them had no good motives, but we weren't all idealistic either.

"Lucretia, slow down a bit," I heard Flora's slightly breathless voice suddenly, trying to catch up with me, not wanting to scream in the hallway. I turned and let it rest on my shoulder. "I'm not that old, but I think I am slowly really getting old."

I smiled slightly, Flora was over fifty and she no longer hid a little gray hair under the paint or tried to smooth out the wrinkles. We were more than thirty years apart, but at work, for me, she was the closest person. I gave her a moment to catch her breath, then lifted her hazel eyes and stared at me through her glasses. I always wondered how you can have so much austerity and courtesy in your gaze at the same time. The students liked her classes very much, and although she required a lot, she was able to interest them in biology in an interesting way.

"The headmaster asks for you," she said finally. "I passed him by a moment ago and he said to call you as if I had noticed you."

"Something happened?" I asked worriedly.

"He didn't say anything else, but he didn't look nervous," Flora replied with a shrug.

I nodded my head and said so I would go straight to his office. I was supposed to have a meeting with the director today, but we made an appointment at a later hour. I was sure we hadn't changed our arrangements in the meantime. As I walked, I frowned every now and then, wondering what might have caused this rush. I got to the office and asked Kelly if the headmaster was at her place. A young girl who was in an apprenticeship but was slowly being prepared to take over permanently as the current secretary was slowly retiring, nodded and returned to her pre-recollection state. I knocked softly and, after the invitation, shyly leaned out from behind the door.

"Oh Lucretia, come in, come in! I know we had an appointment later, but I need to leave urgently today, and if you have time, we may discuss everything now."

"I was scared that something serious had happened," I replied with a sigh. " I'd have to go back for my notes. Would you give me a second?"

"Okay, okay, then go, I still have some time," the headmaster said.

I quickened my pace as I walked back to my office. I thought I would have a little more time to prepare for this meeting. I had my notes and a script in my head, but it was my first challenge since college, the first in my first serious job. Everything was stacked up on the desk, so I just scooped up my briefcase and went back to the headmaster. Mr. Wilbenny was already an old man, but he was very cheerful and a bit chaotic at the same time. He also wanted the best for the kids, but sometimes he was limited by cash and the parent-teacher association. He also often repeated the words twice in his utterances, which often made students smile, but everyone was used to it.

"I've read your report, Lucretia," he said seriously as we were seated at the small coffee table in his office. Sometimes he received important guests here, which is why it was included in the room. "It's very, very detailed," he added. "I appreciate that as well as the tons of ideas you give at the end, but you know what our problems are, right?"

"Staff, money, and the parent-teacher association? I sighed. “I was fully aware of this but preferred to present more options anyway. We always have a choice then."

“Before we come back to that in a moment, I'd like to hear the conclusions you have drawn from this, beyond the numbers you gave me in your report. Go on, go on," Mr. Wilbenny said, folding his hands over his stomach like he was preparing to take a nap.

I took a deep breath, my report was based on the questionnaires I distributed to students at the meetings where I was introduced to them, at the beginning of the year that I asked them to complete and then give back to me during the next week. The questionnaire included questions about the student's future plans, career paths they want to follow, weaknesses, strengths, interests, etc. For the last week I have been analyzing them and writing this report, I had a lot of time for it, because students have not come to me yet.

I told the principal that only 1% of our students were planning to go to university, but at least a third wanted to go there but felt that there was no chance of getting there. The choice of career paths was dominated by practical answers, jobs that are needed, and jobs that can be easily obtained and not lost due to demand. Many students had artistic interests but wrote that they did not have where and how to pursue them, and even if rarely anyone wanted to make it their own way of living or earning money. What worried me most, however, was that young people had difficulty writing down more than one of their strengths or good traits, but when you moved on to your weaknesses, they were able to go beyond the intended place for this matter.

"I pointed that out too," he said. "But this does not mean that our students are not gifted or ambitious, but ..."

"They think realistically," I finished, closing my briefcase.

"However, I would like at least one of your ideas to be realized. I like the one with the art club." Mr. Wilbenny smiled at me sincerely. "In a week I have a meeting with the parent-teacher association if you could prepare everything so that I can introduce it to them and maybe then we can do something."

The director said he had to go, so I started packing my things too. I looked up for a moment and was surprised that Mr. Wilbenny was considering whether to tell me something or not. I studied his thoughts a moment longer, while also stacking the rest of my papers before putting them in my briefcase. At the first meeting with the parent-teacher association, the director introduced me to them as a newly hired person, but I was not welcomed in their vision of the school. The adults assumed I was another young idealist who came here to pursue my stupid ideas and involve the kids in them, apart from the fact that I come from a family of wealthy Parkers. I wish they would not judge me without getting to know me more, but hoped they would eventually understand that they just wanted to help.

"Lucretia ..." he stopped me at the door. "I would like to tell you ..."

"Headmaster," I interrupted him. "We can make it, we care for our students honestly, right? "I smiled and left."

I will not say, that I was not troubled by the headmaster's thoughts, he wanted to warn me that the council may not agree with my ideas because of prejudices against me and my family. I sighed heavily and felt a vibration in my pocket signifying the news. I raised my eyebrows when I saw it was from Hyacinth asking if he might come over for dinner because he would be around tonight. I agreed, of course, but now I had to take every opportunity to meet him without Ginny by his side. However, I wrote back asking whether to expect her as well, so preventively.

I was halfway to my office when I heard a rumble in one of the less traveled corridors where cupboards and the cleaning lady's and janitor's rooms were located. Students should be in class, so I was even more surprised when I heard the screams, definitely belonging to young people. I ran that way and saw students beating. The reason had to be serious and the emotions strong, because they did not regret their strength. I couldn't read their thoughts because they were moving fast and overall their minds seemed confused. I knew it was stupid and that I should have run for help to separate them, but I stepped between them myself.

"Gentlemen, stop it!" I shouted as loud as I could, trying to grab their hands, and stop them in any way.

In the heat of the fight, I accidentally got a punch in the face, I don't know from which student, but I didn't care, they were supposed to stop. I felt the anger rise inside me, and even the contact lenses might not inhibit my power as much as I wanted. Only after that did they stop for a moment, surprised by my presence. I looked into both eyes and filled their minds with fear as I reached out to the appropriate places in their minds. Anger increased my power and made me act very fast.

I saw them hang their heads and start to sweat, but this time not because of the effort put into the fight. They closed their eyes as if they did not want to see what was in front of them. They were shaking, I knew they would be under the force until I was completely calmed down and undone the process, although it would diminish a bit over time if I didn't keep feeding it all the time. Was I completely in control of my power? I was afraid to admit it, but no. For now, however, I had to deal with this problem and put ice on my eye.

"To my office," I said firmly. "Immediately."